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The comprehensive guide to the world's leading tax firms

The Deloitte tax team is among the largest in in Portugal totalling 234 professionals. The department is under the leadership of Carlos Loureiro and includes 24 partners, all respected by peers for their expertise.Deloitte's tax practice has been involved ... [more]

The Deloitte tax team is among the largest in in Portugal totalling 234 professionals. The department is under the leadership of Carlos Loureiro and includes 24 partners, all respected by peers for their expertise.

Deloitte's tax practice has been involved in many transactions that take place, domestically and abroad, involving Portuguese companies. Key areas of work for the firm are transfer pricing, VAT and international tax.

The firm has a strong team with many distinguished members. Afonso Arnaldo is singled out by peers for his expertise in the area of indirect tax. Peers also highlight Duarte Galhardas for strong M&A capabilities and Luis Marques for corporate tax work as well as cross-border structuring.

The team takes part in many conferences and seminars, as well as prepares technical articles included in tax magazines around the country.

Luís Magalhães is head of the tax department at KPMG. The team is made up of five partners and 166 fee earners.The firm provides tax professional services to Portuguese, North-American, Brazilian and Chinese investors in the country, as well as local ... [more]

Luís Magalhães is head of the tax department at KPMG. The team is made up of five partners and 166 fee earners.

The firm provides tax professional services to Portuguese, North-American, Brazilian and Chinese investors in the country, as well as local companies.

Notable work over the past 12 months includes advising on the transfer of group commercial activities to another group company and subsequent transfer pricing analysis of the remuneration of the post-restructuring controlled transactions. The deal was led by Magalhães and closed in September 2011.

In other work, the tax team provided analysis of tax implications on proposals presented by the tenders on a privatisation of a large energy company.

KPMG is also working with clients to give guidance on the Angolan Tax System Reform Project and participates in events including the Investing in Angola seminar.

Uría Menéndez. has a solid reputation in the market and is respected by clients. One says: "The company has been well impressed by the excellent quality of the legal services rendered by the firm as a whole, and more in particular with the work of Filipe ... [more]

Uría Menéndez. has a solid reputation in the market and is respected by clients. One says: "The company has been well impressed by the excellent quality of the legal services rendered by the firm as a whole, and more in particular with the work of Filipe Romão and Pedro Malaquias, who approach their work at the best world class standards and are also a pleasure to work with."

Romão heads the tax departmetn and manages a team of eight fee earners. He is highly regarded by peers for his expertise in M&A and corporate tax matters.

The firm has been active on international and cross border M&A work, which is a key part of practice. Work includes private equity deals and investment structures as well as coordination of multi-jurisdiction projects. Other work includes financing and refinancing transactions and restructuring and financial products structuring.

"We work with U&M in Portugal and Spain.We have worked with Filipe for a long time and we are very confident with his work and advise," says another client.

In February 2012, Romão and Marta Pontes assisted Altice, a European investor in media and telecommunications, in its acquisition of the Portuguese company Cabovisão.

In other notable work, the team is advising ETE Group, one of the largest Portuguese groups in maritime and port activities in a deal. Work includes providing tax advice and assistance in the restructuring of ETE's activities.

Uría Menéndez specialises in providing legal advice to Spanish, Portuguese and European community-based businesses. "Their analysis is very proactive and with great insight on all the relevant issues," comments one client.

The firm opperates out of 16 offices across Europe, the Americas and China.

Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira is a respected market contender in a good market position. The tax team includes two partners and 13 fee earners under the leadership of Diogo Ortigão Ramos.The firm strengthened the tax team with the promotion of Gonçalo ... [more]

Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira is a respected market contender in a good market position. The tax team includes two partners and 13 fee earners under the leadership of Diogo Ortigão Ramos.

The firm strengthened the tax team with the promotion of Gonçalo Bastos Lopes to partner in March 2012 who has been involved in a range of transfer pricing deals. He advised Neiver and Commerz Real Group, on separate matters, on various transfer pricing issues.

Lopes, Ortigão Ramos and Fernando Lança Martins represented Praxair International in December 2011. Work involved advising on the restructuring of the Portuguese activity of the client through the migration of two companies to an EU jurisdiction and liquidation of another one.

The team also advised Instituto de Gestão da Tesouraria e do Crédito Público on VAT and stamp tax implications of the sovereign financing transactions carried out by the client.

Ernst & Young's tax division is managed by João Sousa who heads a team of six partners and 98 fee earners.

The firm's Portuguese office provides a full range of tax services to domestic and multinational companies. Key areas of work include tax compliance, tax accounting, international tax services, transactions, transfer pricing, indirect tax and tax controversy.

Work over the past 12 months includes assisting clients taking their first steps towards internationalisation, as well as companies from Portuguese speaking African countries and other EU countries and emerging markets.

Ernst & Young is also involved in organising tax events on various issues. The firm held a conference on comparisons between tax measures taken by Portugal, Ireland and Greece within the Financial Assistance Support Program of the IMF, European Central Bank and the European Commission.

Garrigues – Taxand is highly regarded by competitors who highlight department head Fernando Castro Silva as a key individual. A number of peers single him out for his expertise in the area of coporate tax and captial markets.Castro Silva is also praised ... [more]

Garrigues – Taxand is highly regarded by competitors who highlight department head Fernando Castro Silva as a key individual. A number of peers single him out for his expertise in the area of coporate tax and captial markets.

Castro Silva is also praised by clients who also single out Mario Lino and Thiago Cassano. The firm operates out of offices in Lisbon and Porto with with a total of three partners and 23 fee earners. Castro Silva heads the Lisbon team and Miguel Reis is head of the Porto practice.

On key work this year, Reis and João Velez de Lima assisted Enel Green Power on the global restructuring of its activities and companies in Portugal.

In January 2012, the team assisted Magnum Industrial Partners with the acquisition of minority stake on the share capital of the Portuguese company Generis.

In transfer pricing work, the teams assisted Labco Diagnostics on the transfer pricing impact of restructuring and leverage. Other work, in March 2012, includes advising on transfer pricing tax audits regarding intra-group transactions performed in 2009.

The firm has a broad client portfolio including blue chip entities, international and national banks and mid-tier national companies. Existing clients include GE, General Motors, BNP Paribas, Banco Santander.

The tax division at Vieira de Almeida & Associados is described by clients as "one of the best in Portugal". The team is managed by Tiago Marreiros Moreira who is responsible for a team of 13 fee earners.Clients single out Marreiros Moreira and Helena ... [more]

The tax division at Vieira de Almeida & Associados is described by clients as "one of the best in Portugal". The team is managed by Tiago Marreiros Moreira who is responsible for a team of 13 fee earners.

Clients single out Marreiros Moreira and Helena Vaz Pinto for capital markets and commercial tax law. "They have also other very good people within the office as well but these two are among the best," says one client.

The firm increased the size of the team further with hire of Teresa Teixeira Mota who joined in January 2012.

On notable work this year, the firm assisted PT – Comunicações in the negotiation and acquisition of land for the development and implementation of a new data centre, to be the biggest in Portugal and among the largest in Europe.

In February 2012, Conceição Gamito and Catarina Belim provided tax and litigation advice to Generg regarding the construction and supply of power lines free of charge within a renewable energy concession.

The team regularly advises leading international and domestic groups and corporations that have business in the Portuguese speaking market. The firm works with a large number of clients in this area including the BANIF Group, the Société Genérale Group, Barclays Capital, Volkswagen Bank, Hyposwiss Bank, Nintendo, Johnson & Johnson and McDonald's.

Rui Camacho Palma manages the tax team at Linklaters. He is highly regarded by peers who single him out for his skills in M&A and cross-border structuring.One client said: "I am very impressed with work that we have being done concerning dividends arising ... [more]

Rui Camacho Palma manages the tax team at Linklaters. He is highly regarded by peers who single him out for his skills in M&A and cross-border structuring.

One client said: "I am very impressed with work that we have being done concerning dividends arising from third countries."

Camacho Palma heads a small team of three fee earners. In January 2012, he advised The Linde Group, a German technology company, in relation to corporate and M&A matters in jurisdictions including Spain, France, Belgium and UK.

In March 2012, Camacho Palma also advised Cogeco Cable, a Canadian telecom group, on the sale of Cabovisão – Televisão por Cabo, a large telecoms operator in Portugal. This was one of the most important deals of the year in the industry.

The practice has also been active in advising on several indirect tax matters, from complex VAT issues to custom and excise duties. In this area of work, the team was involved in the structuring and drafting of a ruling request for VAT representation in Mozambique.

Rogério Fernandes Ferreira & Associados is a newly established firm which set up its operation in May 2012. Rogério Fernandes Ferreira left PLMJ to set up his own practice and has been joined by many PLMJ colleagues.The firm has a solid foundation with ... [more]

Rogério Fernandes Ferreira & Associados is a newly established firm which set up its operation in May 2012. Rogério Fernandes Ferreira left PLMJ to set up his own practice and has been joined by many PLMJ colleagues.

The firm has a solid foundation with experienced senior practitioners including Francisco de Carvalho Furtado, Ana Moutinho do Nascimento, Mónica Respício Gonçalves and Marta Machado de Almeida.

Pedro Saraiva Nércio, João Mesquita and Sérgio Brigas Afonso have also joined the firm as associates from PLMJ. The firm has also secured Manuel Teixeira Fernandes as its specialist in customs duties issues and in indirect and special consumption taxes.

Further team members include Manuel Lopes Faustino for Internal Revenue Service and direct taxation, António Alves da Silva, registered accountant and honorary member of the technical accountants' professional association and Jaime Guerra, as a technical accountant.

Baker Tilly has increased its market presence since it set up in 2009. The tax team has gone from being a two person division to one with 14 professionals. Rui Guedes Henriques is the department head and manages the team, which welcomed António Maria ... [more]

Baker Tilly has increased its market presence since it set up in 2009. The tax team has gone from being a two person division to one with 14 professionals. Rui Guedes Henriques is the department head and manages the team, which welcomed António Maria Pimenta who joined from Garrigues in November 2011.

Clients spoke highly of the firm, "We are working with Baker Tilly in the transfer pricing area and so far we are happy with the level of professionalism and quality of the work performed," said one client.

The team has been active on transfer pricing work this year advising SAG GROUP, a Portuguese exclusive importer of Volkswagen, AUDI, Bentley, Skoda and other brands of vehicles. The firm was required to define a new transfer pricing model in connection with intercompany car transactions.

The team also advises clients including Franke Group and Staedtler Group on business model reorganisation.

The team also provided support to Reed Exhibitions in obtaining a tax ruling on the VAT regime, relating to fairs and exhibitions.

Baker Tilly is a full service firm with particular strength in corporate tax, indirect taxes and transfer pricing. Its clients include medium and large companies, listed companies and multinationals.

Caiado Guerreiro & Associados rebranded this year, shortening its name from Franco Caiado Guerreiro. The tax division remains the same and continues under the leadership of Tiago Caiado Guerreiro."The area that particularly impressed us was the tax restructuring ... [more]

Caiado Guerreiro & Associados rebranded this year, shortening its name from Franco Caiado Guerreiro. The tax division remains the same and continues under the leadership of Tiago Caiado Guerreiro.

"The area that particularly impressed us was the tax restructuring with Tiago Caiado Guerreiro," said one client. "They established correct expectations and were clear about what we can expect, objective meetings with the company partner present, the team was always available, the firm service was globally very good, from the top management to the assistants."

On notable work over the past year, the team advised StepValue – Web Intelligence, a leading company in digital and web marketing, in connection with its international expansion. The team advised on the most suitable jurisdictions to operate in in terms of tax efficient structures.

Ana Castro Gonçalves and Sílvia Velho are representing United Continental Airlines in its controversies with the Portuguese tax and social security authorities at an administrative level and in court.

Other work includes the preparation of transfer pricing documentation for Eurotrails Scientific Advisors, a privately held company in Lisbon that operates in Europe, Latin America, and Africa.

The firm works with industrial and commercial companies, banks and other financial institutions, insurance companies, IT companies as well as public bodies and other organisations.

Ricardo da Palma Borges & Associados operates in Portugal as a tax law boutique, with both a domestic and international practice.The team of five fee earners is headed by Ricardo da Palma Borges who is respected by peers for his expertise in tax controversy ... [more]

Ricardo da Palma Borges & Associados operates in Portugal as a tax law boutique, with both a domestic and international practice.

The team of five fee earners is headed by Ricardo da Palma Borges who is respected by peers for his expertise in tax controversy and cross-border structuring.

"We can say that everyone with whom we have worked has left a positive impression, but we would like to mention Ricardo da Palma Borges who has immensely impressed us with his expertise," says one client.

The firm works across a range of tax services with a particular focus on legislation design and tax planning as well as on income and real estate taxes.

"We had experience concerning corporate income tax planning matters, with very good outcome. Transfer pricing and business restructuring was one of the main areas where we lately obtained valuable results," another client says.

In January 2012, the firm advised a borrower company in connection with a tax audit where the tax authorities sought to deny the deductibility of interest relating to a bank loan which was then partially back-to-back granted to another group company, but with no interest charged.

On other notable work, Borges and Bruno Botelho Antunes were involved in the drafting of a request for a ruling concerning the application of a Portuguese corporate income tax regime, under which existing tax loss carry forwards are forfeited when there is a change in ownership of more than 50% of the capital.